San Luis Obispo Oral Screenings and Exams

Getting Below the Surface of Dental Problems

For real health, dental care should be preventive. Keeping your smile healthy and bright is easy when you remember your routine dental care, and part of that routine is your semi-annual exam. Oral exams are just as crucial for keeping your smile and your body healthy as any of the other routine exams you schedule for yourself and for your children every year. During your semi-annual oral exam, Dr. Fitch will begin with a visual examination and compare his observations to your previous dental check-ups. Dr. Fitch will be able to detect any early signs of problems with your teeth or gums. If anything requires further evaluation, an intra-oral camera will magnify the tooth or tissue so that both you and Dr. Fitch can discuss the problem area and treatment options. We recommend bite-wing X-rays based on individual needs to check on common problem areas that we may not be able to see in a visual examination. We may also use the DIAGNOdent, a laser that allows us to detect even very small cavities that may not show up on an X-ray. A full series of X-rays is completed every five years so that we may monitor any changes in your teeth and jaw. At every hygiene visit we will screen you for oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, someone dies from oral cancer every hour of every day in the U.S. As with any cancer, early detection and treatment can make the difference in successfully treating the disease. Don’t wait to visit us for just an emergency. Routine care can literally save your life!